Chapter 100- The EU Flashcards
(30 cards)
What does supranational mean?
It means that the institutions are only focused on member states
What is the Maastricht treaty?
It is an expansion of the free movement of goods people and services and was established in 1992
What is the treaty of Amsterdam?
It codified the EU social chapter in 1997
What is the European constitution?
It strengthened the role of the European Parliament in 2004
What are the European Institutions?
The European Commission The Council (of ministers) The European Council The European Parliament The European Court of Justice (ECJ)
Who is the executive institution of the EU?
The European Commission
What are the features of the European Commission?
- It is the executive institution
- It has 28 members (1 from each state)
- It proposes legislation
- It is supranational
What are the features of the Council (of ministers)?
- It has 28 ministers from each state
- The minister depends on the issue being discussed
- It is the main decision making body
- Uses QMV (Qualified Majority voting)
- It is intergovernmental
What is QMV (Qualified Majority Voting)?
QMV gives member states votes on the basis of population size
What does intergovernmental mean?
Cooperation between the EU member states governments without abandoning national interests
What are the features of the European council?
- consists of heads of state or foreign secretaries
- It determines the direction of the EU
- It is the EU’s strategic and problem solving body
- It is intergovernmental
What are the features of the European Parliament?
- Made up of 751 MEPs who are elected every 5 years
- Scrutinise the European Commission
- Has legislative powers over some areas i.e. the environment
What are the features of the European Court of Justice?
- Acts on EU law
- Made up of 28 judges, 1 from each member state
- can strike down domestic laws that conflict with EU law
the EU suffers a democratic deficit
Comment on the above statement.
YES
- the power to make policy lies with unelected institutions like The Council
- The only elected and accountable institution (the European Parliament) is too weak
- There is too little known of the EU’s inner workings
NO
- The Council and European Council are made of ministers accountable to their electorate
- All key treaties are ratified by member states through elected representatives
- EU Parliaments role and status is increasing
The EU’s central aim consists of the “4 freedoms”. What do these include?
1) Movement of goods
Member states can not impose taxes on goods from other EU states
2) Movement of services
People can offer their professional services across the EU
3) Movement of people
Any citizen of one EU member state can seek employment in another EU member state
4) Movement of capital
Restrictions on capital movements between EU member states have been removed
What are the achievements of its aims?
- Single European Market
- Free Movement of people
- abolition of national currency
- EU citizen rights
- EU Charter of Fundamental Human Rights
Why is the Single European Market a success?
- It has created 2.5 million jobs
- Increased EU GDP by 15%
Why is the Single European market not a success?
- EU regulation is costly for small and medium sized enterprises
- Competitive industry have imposed costs to share wealth
Why is the free movement of people a success?
Beneficial migration into the UK from other EU states. 3.2 million EU citizens living in UK
1.2 million UK citizens moved to other EU states
Why was the free movement of people not a success?
Eastward migration has left demographic and skills gaps in states like Poland
Why was the abolition of national currency a success?
19/28 states joined the European Monetary Union
Why was abolition of national currency not a success?
The loss of national control of currency has been seen as the cause of debt crisis and therefore required ECB bailouts
Why was the EU citizen rights a success?
EU citizens have the right to vote in EU Parliamentary elections and the right to permanent residence in another EU country
Also workers rights have benefited ie working hours and rights
Why was the EU Charter for Fundamental Human Rights a success?
Gave people the right to life, right to freedom and equality and free movement
